The use of social media in the workplace has both advantages and disadvantages. While employers often worry that social media is a productivity killer, it doesn’t significantly reduce productivity. In today’s digitalized workplaces, employees often take advantage of social media’s rich functionalities, such as real-time access. However, during the pandemic, less tech-savvy individuals may have become increasingly disconnected from society with less access to support for establishing new communication methods.
Professional social media use correlates with job demands, including physiological symptoms like neck pain and psychological issues. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and YouTube are the most accessible at workplaces. A Canadian report highlights top ways employers are looking to boost productivity through “Lazy Girl Jobs” and “Bare Minimum Mondays”.
Unrestricted use of social media in the workplace has a negative impact on team productivity. Employees can spend around 40-45 minutes on social media during working hours for non-work-related purposes, draining 9.5 percent of their productivity daily. Constant notifications and the allure of checking updates can divert attention from work tasks, leading to reduced focus and productivity. A study found that using social media at work can boost productivity by up to 9 percent.
However, there are some disadvantages of using social media in the workplace. It brings down productivity, increases technical risks, and can cause “social media fails”. The continuous use of social networks also hinders the maintenance of attention and productivity at work.
Despite these drawbacks, both types of social networking sites carry enormous benefits and some detriments that could hinder organizational productivity if not effectively implemented. Employers should consider implementing policies that balance the benefits of social media with the potential drawbacks to ensure a productive and engaged workforce.
📹 Are You Being Tracked? How Companies Are Monitoring Productivity
With the rise of remote and hybrid jobs, a growing number of companies are monitoring nearly every move made by their …
Why is deleting social media good?
Deleting social media can improve mental health by reducing stress, improving sleep, fostering genuine connections, sharpening focus, and boosting confidence. However, complete withdrawal may result in reduced social connections, missed information, or professional impact. Balancing these advantages and disadvantages is crucial. Strategies like setting time limits, creating tech-free zones, and pursuing offline hobbies can foster a healthier relationship with social media while promoting mental health.
Living without social media involves finding offline hobbies, engaging in face-to-face interactions, setting screen time boundaries, and engaging in activities like reading, exercising, or creative outlets.
Does social media drain productivity?
Social media can be a distraction during work hours, leading to decreased productivity and lower work quality. It can also cause information overload, which can be overwhelming. However, social media can also facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among employees, aid personal growth and development by providing access to training materials and industry news. Networking on social media can help build relationships with peers and potential clients, leading to new business opportunities and increased productivity.
Establishing guidelines on how to use social media during peak performance hours can maximize its benefits while minimizing its drawbacks. While social media can be blamed for low productivity, other factors contribute to an unproductive work environment. It is crucial to address the main culprits for a lowered workplace with honesty.
How does social interaction affect work productivity?
Positive work relationships can boost productivity and reduce the likelihood of employee illness, high medical insurance costs, or job loss. Fostering supportive supervisor relationships can improve employee well-being, productivity, and retention. Research shows that emotional and practical support can be highly effective. Two key areas for fostering supervisor support are integrating work with family and personal life and mental health on the job.
Work-life conflict, where work demands interfere with family responsibilities, is a growing concern among American workers. This stressor is linked to negative effects on employee health and well-being. Employers are increasingly aware of the need to address work-family conflict but may be unsure of the best approach. Teaching supervisors to be more supportive of work-life challenges can be a simple and effective way to improve employee well-being and workplace outcomes.
Does banning online networks from the workplace increase productivity?
A ban on social media use on work devices, even if it is backed up by blocking specific URLs, may prove futile as employees may have ways around it. The plethora of apps that can access social media accounts without opening the page itself may not be truly blocked on work devices. Work breaks, often taken in the form of looking at personal or social media sites, may actually make employees more productive. However, an overly restrictive workplace may suffer employee morale, as it tells them that they do not trust them to monitor their own time and productivity.
Disallowing social media at work can take away important opportunities for employees to promote the organization and network, which can help the company. It can also be a way for employees to reach out to clients who are also on social media, which could have unanticipated negative effects. An overly-strict social media policy may be a detractor for would-be job applicants.
It is important to remember that even with a workday usage ban in place, the employer does not have the right to control all employee social media activity. One of the biggest areas to be wary is when trying to ban “bad-mouthing” the organization. A blanket ban on commenting about the organization online could be interpreted as trying to suppress an employee’s right to concerted activities, which is expressly protected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Employers need to be
sure not to be so general as to dampen employee rights to discuss working conditions, which is protected by the NLRA.
How is social media disadvantages in the workplace?
Social media platforms on company networks pose several risks to employees, including security, harassment, negative exposure, legal violations, potential loss of productivity, and wage and hour issues. Employers may face charges of discrimination, privacy violations, and interference with employees’ rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. Enforcing a clear policy on social media use while working can help mitigate these risks.
To prevent abuse and reduce employer risk, a comprehensive and well-defined social media use policy should be established. This policy should define social media, establish a clear purpose, communicate the benefits of having a policy, indicate who is responsible for managing social media, define appropriate use, identify confidential information, discuss productivity in terms of social media use during work time, provide guidance on social media use outside of company time, refer to other company conduct policies directly, outline disciplinary measures for policy violations, and align branding in company-related postings.
In summary, a well-defined social media use policy is essential to protect employees, ensure security, and minimize legal risks. By defining social media usage, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, and aligning branding in company-related postings, employers can ensure a safe and productive work environment.
How does social media affect the workplace?
Social media usage in the workplace can lead to productivity decline, as it can distract from work and lead to distractions. Overuse of social media can result in time lost and disciplinary actions for employees. To avoid this, business managers should strike a balance between encouraging social media for productivity and preventing addiction. By doing so, they can ensure a healthy work environment.
Does network reduce productivity?
A Pew Research Center survey found that 46% of employees believe the Internet has increased their productivity at work, while only 7% believe it has made them less productive. The survey, which surveyed 535 adult jobholders, found that while employees admit to being distracted by the Internet, the technology also makes them more efficient. The survey’s director of Internet, science, and technology research, Lee Rainie, said that most people would say it’s a wash.
Does deleting social media improve productivity?
Social media can significantly impact performance, especially in high-performance situations. The constant distractions of social media can disrupt focus and lead to decreased performance. Reducing or eliminating social media use can enhance one’s capacity for deep work and peak performance. Quitting social media can eliminate digital distractions, improve cognitive fitness, and increase focus on work. Using less time on phones and breaking free from interruptions and notifications can create an environment that supports deep work and peak performance.
There are apps available to help manage digital habits and make the transition to a life without social media easier. These tools and apps can help maintain a professional online presence without getting sucked into the social media vortex. Not having social media can significantly improve mental health and productivity by aligning digital habits with deeply held values and goals. It’s not just about deleting your social media app or account, but about aligning your digital habits with your values and goals.
Does social media cause less productivity?
Excessive social media use can lead to burnout, mental exhaustion, reduced attention span, decreased cognitive abilities, and lower productivity. To avoid negative effects, it is crucial to be mindful of how and when social media is used. To maximize productivity, set specific times for checking social media and avoid using it as a form of procrastination or distraction during work hours. The five main factors that affect productivity include:
- Lack of time spent on social media
- Lack of focus and motivation
- Lack of motivation and motivation\n4
How does social media affect work productivity?
Excessive social media use can lead to burnout, mental exhaustion, reduced attention span, decreased cognitive abilities, and lower productivity. To avoid negative effects, it is crucial to be mindful of how and when social media is used. To maximize productivity, set specific times for checking social media and avoid using it as a form of procrastination or distraction during work hours. The five main factors that affect productivity include:
- Lack of time spent on social media
- Lack of focus and motivation
- Lack of motivation and motivation\n4
Does social culture influence workplace productivity?
The culture of a company significantly impacts an employee’s engagement, which in turn drives productivity. According to Todd Davis, the chief people officer for FranklinCovey and author of Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work, engagement drives productivity and everything an employee does with and for the organization. Employees with low engagement come to work for a paycheck, doing just enough to ensure they aren’t put on a performance plan or fired. Therefore, it’s crucial to review the company culture to ensure employees feel connected and enthusiastic about their work.
📹 Quit social media | Dr. Cal Newport | TEDxTysons
‘Deep work’ will make you better at what you do. You will achieve more in less time. And feel the sense of true fulfillment that …
it is quite scary for me to think about this Ted talk because when I first heard him about 4 years ago I thought he wasn’t making any sense and I love social media, all my friends and my life are on there. And now I am coming back totally convinced that social media has made me miserable, addicted and always comparing myself to others over the years.
u know i quit social media a while ago and this is what ive been doing it’s kinda crazy: -when i wake up i dont go on my phone i just get out of bed and start my day -i read 1 book a week -i signed up for an online course -i discovered new cool spots in the neighborhood cuz im bored so i take long walks -im out more -i talk to my neighbors more -my eyes feel different like better -i got back to my old hobbies and interests -i began to reconnect with myself like my needs and my goals in life -seriously reevaluated my life and committed to change for the better – my attention span has increased significantly – i dont have that drained feeling from overstimulation it is wild i realized social media actually makes u antisocial and damages your relationships
I quit drinking, smoking pot, and social media at the beginning of 2015. I quit drinking because I didn’t want to get a third DUI and become a felon. I quit smoking pot because I couldn’t afford it any longer. I quit social media because I didn’t have anything going on in my life worth sharing. It took me 5 months to find a job(really it was like the job found me) and just two weeks after starting my first job, I was offered another part time job. The part time job turned into a full time job which came with a promotion. A year later I received another promotion. Now I’m the general manager of the business. If I had continued drinking, I’d be in jail or dead. If I had kept smoking pot, I wouldn’t be working anywhere or breaking my back for under the table pay. If I had continued using social media, I would have been subtly ridiculed for the type of work I was doing and in turn ashamed of my life compared to the lives of my peers. I’m proud of myself and I don’t need anyone from the other side of an app to validate my accomplishments.
I’m 18, I had an Instagram meme account with 10.7k followers and growing everyday, had a Twitter meme account with 3500+ and growing everyday, and I just left all that behind and uninstalled everything and ready to get back closer with God and focus more on my studies and future, I’m sick and tired of sitting in front of my pc and phone just sharing memes and playing article games, I want to become a Better person
So social media- 1. wastes your time 2. fragments your attention- reduces your capacity to focus 3. makes you feel lonely/ isolated 4. makes you insecure and depressed 5. strains your eyes – you forget to blink often 6. makes you sit for a long time 7. makes you forget other productive activities- reading a book, workout
I quit Twitter 6 months ago. I can’t even describe the amount of productivity I have gained as a result. Sometimes I look back and think: what the hell was I doing? Just unproductively refreshing a timeline and hoping to catch something interesting. That kind of passive purposeless entertainment slowly cripples your mental faculties.
Social media almost becomes like a second job. People are so busy deciding what to post, overthinking things, trying to keep up with the next person. That can be overwhelming. Edit: Checking back in on this article 11 months later. Thanks for the likes and relating to my comment! Wishing everyone a prosperous 2020! Merry Christmas!
I wish the whole world would get off social media. Its so destructive. I have a friend who has accomplished so many amazing things and travelled the world and she doesn’t have social media… her life is ACTUALLY amazing. I feel like because she is never distracted… she actually has to entertain herself in other ways and she is sooooo accomplished and happy and content and her self esteem is so high and I honestly believe its due to this one fact.
The human mind was never designed to keep in touch with, care for, or communicate with hundreds (or even thousands) of people on a personal level, especially on a daily basis. It brings anxiety, jealousy, loneliness, inadequacy, loss of concentration within your own life, etc. My happiest friends have zero social media, and are incredibly successful. Life is so peaceful and meaningful without social media. And tons more productive.
quit all my social media and im happier with my life because im living it, not recording, sharing, posting about it and checking those of others! No unhealthy comparisons, no simulated social relationships, no wasting time checking information i just don’t need to know, just real present moments and the wholeness of a full experience not posted online for the people i went to school with years ago to look at. DO IT!
It’s crazy how I let social media dictate my happiness & self-image. I would constantly delete it because if I’m not posting a picture, or doing something “productive” on these apps, what’s the point? You sit & watch people’s lives all day, comparing yourself and wasting TIME. I’m only 17, but the constant exposure to people’s lives and their “happiness” constantly made me feel lonely, and ultimately, more anxious and depressed. I’ve felt so tired and anxious because I constantly felt like I had an image to uphold or somehow I’m missing out…. when in reality I become more productive, and more peaceful. This generation needs so much help.. everyone has become way more selfish, insecure, and relationship/friendships are way more harder to obtain. People worry so much about the likes & comments rather than forming actual bonds. It’s weird. Thank you for this article. Now with that being said, I’m about to take a peaceful nap & then do some school work. Lol everyone have a great day!
This article is timeless, 10x more relevant now than it was 7 years ago. As a father of a two primary school going daughters, it terrifies me. In a few decades from now, I’m convinced that we’ll look back at the early decades of social media and wonder how we let these companies do pretty much what they wanted with our kids, their brains, self esteem and mental health.
I have a friend who was my roommate in university. His name os Keenan. He is extremely friendly, genuine, and always exudes an air of calmness around him. I have never seen him angry or frustrated and throw a tantrum. One day i asked for his Facebook account. He said that he did not have it. Instead, I always saw him carrying a book or staying in bed reading without a care in the world, no smartphone. He only used his laptop for doing his homework. I think he was different from the rest of my university. Their eyes stick to the smartphone, always getting annoyed, feeling unhappy. Social media really ruin our mental health and happiness nowadays
I deactivated Facebook when I realized that I was using it for the sole purpose of measuring my self-worth against other people’s lives, or more accurately, the impression I got from other people’s social lives online. I never even posted status updates because it bothered me when people didn’t like them. How embarrassing is that? Actually letting something as transient and fickle as an internet ‘like’ affect your mood and state of mind. I literally just used to scroll through the news feed and think that the humorous posts were enough to outweigh how shit I felt when I saw people in huge groups socializing while I sat at home alone suffering from anxiety. What sealed it for me was imagining that time suddenly rewound to ~20 years ago during the pre-facebook/social media era. Would I ever know what most of the 300+ ‘friends’ of mine on Facebook were getting up to in their lives back then? Would I care? Would I go out of my way to find out? The answer to all of these questions was a resounding no. I’d only care about the people I’m closest to, the people I actually interact with outside of social media. Maybe I still would’ve suffered from anxiety back then. I’m not blaming Facebook on my mental illness. But what social media sites like Facebook do is they severely exacerbate any existing anxiety or self-esteem issues.
Two years ago, I didn’t have a phone or any social media, I was more productive in school in doing my daily duties and more focused and smart, but after I used social media I plunged into this whirlpool of distraction and comparisons, feeling like a bottomless well, so a month ago I decided to leave Instagram and any means distract my focus and now I feel great peace and calmness that fills my life
I quit social media 5.5 years ago. In my experience, it is hard af in the beginning but after two months i felt confident in my life and noticed that my commonsense actually rose and i am the only one who is taking life seriously and the people around me focusing on their ego’s, politicians mainly, hatred etc. After these many years i still feel it. Proud of myself that i took that life transformating decision
I’ve been off of social media for about 4 months now. I barely use my phone – only use to call and watch YouTube articles on spirituality. I walk around now appreciating the beauty in everyday life. It makes me sad to see everyone always staring at their phones. It’s even sadder to know that I used to be one of them.
I quitted social media in the beginning of May. The first day was amazing. I did get the urge to install all my social media apps back and not doing it was hard. I had to distract myself so i could think less about checking what was going on with my friends and stuff. After one week, I didn’t care at all about social media. I decided to deactivate all my accounts (ig, snapchat, twitter; i have deactived my fb acc years ago). It was like I was reborn lol. I had so much time to invest on myself and on people I love. My focus on the things I was doing had improved. I didn’t have any distractions. My mind was focused on the tasks I was doing. My productivity got better and I felt happy because I was doing things faster and better. It has been a month without social media and it is life changing. You focus on yourself. Your mental health is better. You can start new hobbies. One of the things I started doing is learning things about different countries, thier history, culture, culinary etc. Also I started exercising a lot because you have so much free time. I feel healthier in general. I have time to cook myself a healthy meal, go out and spend time with family and friends, study ( im a student, 20 yo) improve new skills, and many more things. It honestly feels like you get your life back and you control it. It is definitely the best decision I have ever made. I suggest you do the same. You won’t regret it!
Some say quitting Facebook is for attention, but I quit 2 years ago, never wanted attention, never went back to get attention and I’m a happier person without it. It is just another way of wasting your life – did you know that on average we will spend 5 years of our life looking at Facebook. Now ask yourself this – what else could I have achieved with 5 YEARS 😀
Intention plays a factor as well. Social media can be a useful tool or an entertaining toy. YouTube can have a wealth of lectures and tutorials or endless prank and cat articles. Influencers can manipulate the message and medium they post to for profit rather than community. What goes on between your ears will decide. Focus and uninterrupted progress is better than immediate and debilitating distractions.
I am Gen X and I applaud the younger generations that can quit social media. We did not have these platforms to communicate when I was younger, and we were ok. In fact, we fought less, loved more. If more of us went back to the old school ways of communicating and loving one another, we can turn our lives around collectively, and stop this inevitable life train headed for disaster.
Whole article summary : -People can be successful and happy without using social media -It is possible to have friends, be informed, collaborate with others, and have entertainment options without using social media -Social media can have negative effects on people’s happiness and success -The three most common objections to quitting social media are: social media is a fundamental technology of the 21st century, it is necessary for networking and professional advancement, and it is an important way to stay connected with friends and family -It is possible to use alternative technologies for networking and professional advancement, and to connect with friends and family in other ways -There are potential negative consequences to using social media, including addiction, comparison and envy, and the spread of misinformation -Quitting social media can have positive effects, including increased productivity, improved mental health, and increased face-to-face socialization.
I am gonna quit ALL OF MY SOCIAL MEDIAS today. I am so sick of using it. I am so sick of losing concentration and time. I am so sick of the fact that I know I am wasting time but I still can’t get off my phone. I hate the feeling of how the first and the last thing I do every day before I sleep and wake up is checking on my instagram, snapchat, WhatsApp… I am controlled by it. I hate the feeling of being powerless. I hate how I am so addicted to it that I check my social media so often I hate how it becomes the only thing I do when I have free time. I hate how it makes me feel anxious without my phone. I hate how I have not been focusing on my studies. i hate how my concentration time and my memory is getting worse. It makes me sad sometimes to see everyone posting nice pics and having a great life. I hate the feeling of how I am losing time and end up being stressed for not finish a day’s work. I hate procrastinating. I hate how my mind drifts off when I start studying. I hate how I would start thinking about my social media and stuff when I have actual serious work to do and end up using it every 30 mins. I hate how I feel excluded when I see pics without me on my friend’s insta. I hate how I feel depressed and lonely because of Instagram. I hate how frustrated I feel when my friends didn’t reply me. I would have none of these problems if social media didn’t exist because in real life my frds are all really nice to me. Therefore, I have made up my mind and I am going to quite social media.
When I deleted all my socials I got texts and calls from every one of my close friends asking WHY? It felt weird that I had to almost defend my decision to so many people. It just proves how addicted people are to it and how it has changed how we treat each other. Not a fan of how humanity has evolved.
It’s crazy how this article was published 7 years ago and almost everything he’s saying still holds good, especially his predictions for the future generations, which is now genz who is addicted to scrolling and has a severely declining mental health which directly correlates to the overuse of social media. However, I do think in this day and age it’s not possible to fully reach our potential professionally without social media as so much of the world has been digitalized. I think we should definitely incorporate his suggestion to live without screens as much as possible but we can’t completely eliminate it from our lives.
As I write this, I’m 17. And I think social media deactivation might make teenagers hesitate and scared at first. “Will I lose friends? Will I get enough attention?” But to me, it was one of the best decisions in my life. Here’s my story: I quit social media three years ago. I used to be obsessed with likes, thought I was worth less when one of my posts didn’t reach popularity and completely shut off my family and some friends who were right in front of me. I slowly realised that I was addicted. My parents would sometimes snatch my phone away from me due to my obsession with social media and my excessive screen time: all I did was scroll mindlessly through instagram! I then started step back a bit and reflected on my actions. I, for one day, shut my phone off and didn’t look at it once. That’s when I started to realise that I merely took photos to post them, not to conserve its memories. That all my actions related to social media were SUPERFICIAL. I looked at my surroundings and found it ridiculous how people were obsessively glued on their phones instead of socialising with there loved ones (ex: in a restaurant). Or when people would take articles on Snapchat and act happy for the duration of the article and then, their expressions change instantly when the article goes off. I thought it was going to be hard at first. Because I felt a kind of relief when I post or go on social media. But let me tell you: deleting Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and others made me happier, made me live in the moment.
I quit social media for about 4 months now and there’s a lot things that I realized: 1) I dont get to compare myself to other people 2) No one really cares about me except the people closest to me 3) I can sleep better 4) I get things done in a day without interruptions 5) Keeps me more connected to my family 6) I’m happier without it
Its been a month since i quit instagram and now perusal this article, The fact is that social media apps have a strong ability to change our emotions in a short time which actually makes us to have a lot of mixed emotions in a day,After quitting Insta it has actually made me more productive than i used to be, and Now i am happy and I got to know more about myself rather knowing folks and also my anxiety level has come to normal. I wish that everyone finds peace …….
So this is what he looks like. I read his book Digital Minimalism (ironically on my phone) and it changed a lot of my life. Have felt so much better without it. Not buying into the pseudo-activism, the latest celebrity gossip, the amusing viral articles, that just wasted my time. Instead I have given myself more time to focus on my finances, my mental health and my physical health. Literally life changing.
I haven’t used social media in about 2 years, and I’ve felt liberated ever since. I find that it incurs people to follow the herd, rather than thinking critically and coming to one’s own conclusions. Plus, I do not have 900 friends in real life, so why does my Facebook have that many. I’m a misanthrope anyway. I’m not missing out😃
Five years ago I had 2 Facebook accounts. Everyone was telling about their private life… One evening I got tired of seeing all these comments from people I didn’t even know “for real” and I closed my accounts. I felt liberated! It feels good to get back to “real life” and spend less time on a PC or iPhone. Sorry for mistakes, my written English is no good
It is actually crazy how Cal Newport was taking about the dangers of social media over 7 years ago. Of course it was a problem back then but since 2016 it seems like social media has got into steroids. 2016 was actually the year that the chronological order Instagram feed was substituted by a much worse algorithm-based feed. We’ve gotten Stories, which is a format that gets you hooked to return every single day since the content will disappear in 24 hours and most recently we’ve got short-form articles (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) that absolutely DESTROY our attention spans and our ability to concentrate. I really think social media has gotten at least 10x more harmful and more addictive than it was in 2016.
About 7 years ago I had Facebook, later instagram etc. I suffered depression and anxiety I sped a lot time checking my cellphone and I barely paid attention to my little son. I used to compared my self to the perfect and gorgeous ladies who posted their wonderful bodies and i felt miserable. 6 years ago I deleted all my accounts and I can honestly say I don’t need or miss them at all. When people find out they freak out and say I live in the cave age I don’t care I just know I live happier, I play with my kids and anxiety and depression are gone.
I quit social media before the pandemic. Now I’m in Med School and my free time is dedicated to God and my favorite books. I’ve also quit TV and all streaming services. Time here on earth is too short. Focus on what’s everlasting. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14
I quit Facebook, Instagram and any other social media because it gives me lots of anxienty. Everytime I see someone`s photo, I feel like I am not happier than them. I am still using Twitter but only for learning and news like catastrophe, riot, etc. When I feel bored, usually I read books or blogs. My life is better eversince 😀 It seems daunting at first, but it`s not.
I also deleted everything besides youtube and whatsapp a few years ago and beside feeling a little sad, that there are so few people like us and the feeling of beeing disconnected from others (which is the result of social media, not me abandoning it) I feel more alive than ever and also more in touch with myself. I also noticed I am getting way more social around people in real life which was always very hard for me in the past. Summarized I don’t regret it one little bit 🙂
The fact this is so true in 2024 says a lot!! He was spot on! I’ve noticed I’m happier when I limit social media to almost none. I am way more productive and living in the present. I’ve gotten so much better with lessening social media! The fact that ChatGPT is a thing now is crazy! I wish social media would seriously die down for the majority of population to save the minds of the younger generations. Great talks!
We live in the “look at me!” generation, people constantly posting nonsense to their instagrams, facebooks, etc. What kills me is that their “updates” are literally nothing, look at the weather outside, look at what I’m eating, look at baby photo #368, etc. Most people’s lives just aren’t that interesting.
Quitting social media gives me a lot more time, can’t believe the countless hours I spent wasted on that crap. One of the best, simple things i’ve ever done. No more comparing my life to others. Once I had a girlfriend who would check her social media reading other peoples posts at least once every half hour when I was with her. Drove me bloody insane and caused us to argue. Screw all social media.
I hope you forever stay in the world of no social media use to continually inform us of the way back. I was born in 1997 and fortunately spent years of my childhood phoneless and in field to play. I also felt the surge of changes that came with the use of social media and I must say that having known what it felt like when it’s not ubiquitous was quite a factor for me to slowly disengage in its use now. I got to a point when my mind was tired of the overload of information but my hands automatically looks and scrolls up to infinity. If people don’t realize this invisible trade that’s going on, they might actually lose sooner the greatest gift that we have; to focus and appreciate time as it is. May God bless you Professor.
there is a difference between soc med and YouTube…especially if you just aim for the educational stuff on Youtube. If you constantly watch cop beating and twerking vids your prob not going to improve your life, but if you watch positive morally enhancing content then Youtube is no different than a classroom…just you control the whole thing. I dig what this guy is saying, I dumped Facebook long ago just cause i dont want to feel the responsibility of reacting to who did what, was born had a birthday or died…. i have too much to do in my life to be distracted by all that.
Normally, I’m not a social media person (Twitter, instagram, discord, etc) but I’m very focused on the real life than the social world. Heres the problem, when someone tells you this, “Please don’t quit social media / Don’t delete your social media account! If you do that, you die for real!” Is that stupidity or nonsense?
All comments justifying that they won’t quit YouTube because it’s one form of “social media” need to stop worrying. Remember YouTube is a “search engine” packed with so much knowledge just like google but with articles. We wouldn’t get rid of google so don’t need to get rid of YouTube. YouTube is where we learn and self invest with deeper knowledge 😊
My friends laugh at me because my cell phone is rarely turned on. I use my cell phone, when I need a phone, maybe directions and occasionally a coupon. I am proud to be one of the rare few that wouldn’t miss my cell phone if I lost it. It’s main purpose to me is to have it when I’m traveling for emergency purposes.
I just deleted my social media accounts yesterday evening and I feel much better about my life. I don’t feel the pressure to put myself out there to be discovered. I actually feel more social now and ready to speak to people in order to get opportunities. I remain on YouTube because I learn a lot here and it’s the only online community I will allow myself to have. I no longer keep my content website active and I am relieved. Closing my circle feels so much better now!
I quit social media today after doing research on how bad it is for your mental health and my personal experiences, being on there made me feel so insecure and like a failure or pressure to be “in style” seeing my friends married or with kids boyfriends traveling. and it made me feel sorry for myself not having the same thing. I do believe social media is all a popularity contest and fake.. I know being off of there will make me happier!
I didnt quit facebook, but my Instagram went in the bin, and almost immediately I gained time, I dont have a ridiculously artficial view of women anymore, and most of all, I kind of have self- confidence. Social Media works off an individuals sense of self worth, based on how popular they are on a BS platform. Its not just unnatural, its unhealthy.
100% social media free for one month now and I’ve never felt more peaceful! Whenever I would go on Instagram or Snapchat I always left feeling irritated and anxious and I never knew exactly why. I’m sooooo much happier without seeing all of the bragging and whining and ‘look at me, look what I’m doing, look what I had for lunch’ nonsense! 🙅🏻♀️ purge yourself of this toxic waste! 😌
I’ve ever felt more depressed, unfulfilled, angry and anxiety filled than when I had Facebook for nearly 12 years (I got on FB when it was created in 2005). For years I fought my own instincts regarding the toll it was taking on me. Once I deleted Facebook & Instagram, Snapchat (didn’t have Twitter), I found MYSELF. Not other people’s successes and adventures. But MINE. I learned to value MY life no matter what condition or state it’s in. I have a simple, homely life and that’s amazing. QUIT Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & SnapChat, NOW. You’ll never go back, only forward, breathing in and out the way you were meant to!
I quit social media about a month ago and i feel as if I got my life back. I’ve been on social media for 13 years and been in a haze since. But ever since I quit, my social anxiety is gone, I think abstractly about issues, and my personal relationships with friends and family have improved drastically.
The best way to describe the use of Social media in today’s society is exactly how they describe new york in the film My dinner with André. If you havent seen the film, I have copied the dialogue bellow but edited the subject from new york to social media. It may be a tad extreme, but it really is how I now see social media after quitting it. “What social media platform do you use?” And I said, “Facebook.” And he said, “Ah, Facebook, yes, that’s a very interesting site. Do you know a lot of Facebooker’s who keep talking about the fact that they want to leave, but never do?” And I said, “Oh, yes.” And he said, “Why do you think they don’t leave?” And I gave him different banal theories. And he said, “Oh, I don’t think it’s that way at all.” He said, “I think that Facebook is the new model for the new concentration camp, where the camp has been built by the inmates themselves, and the inmates are the guards, and they have this pride in this thing that they’ve built—they’ve built their own prison—and so they exist in a state of schizophrenia where they are both guards and prisoners. And as a result they no longer have—having been lobotomized—the capacity to leave the prison they’ve made or even to see it as a prison.”
About two years ago I started realizing that some of my Facebook ‘friends’ had exhibited narcissistic tendencies. I realized that was not how I wanted to live and stopped with social media as a whole, i only keep a YouTube account for Learning purposes. I felt so much better after quitting, i place more value on true friendships and real conversation.
At 60 years old, I remember life before social media and the internet and what life is like now. There is such a huge difference. Before the internet, people got together and talked, laughed, played games like cards or board games. No one was glancing or scrolling a phone. We concentrated and enjoyed what we were doing. Life was slower and more relaxed. We read more books and were able to concentrate on them without wondering if we were missing something on social media. I don’t have any social media. I tried it, but didn’t like it. I not only got off all social media, but also cancelled my home internet and enjoy my life much more. If I need internet for something, which is rare, I go to a coffeeshop, or, more likely my local library.
I’m 29 and I quit social media four years ago this month! I honestly realized how much time it wasted and how addicting it can be! I found I started to be more present in my children’s and husbands life rather than caring about what other people are doing…. people who I don’t even talk to anymore since I don’t have social media! Your friends on there aren’t really your friends in “the real world.” Nobody will say at your funeral “they put up lots of funny tweets, smart comments and stylish photos..” no… they will remember how you treated them in real life. The end!
I will be honest with everyone who cares to listen: Leaving social media has been absolutely the best situation for me. I have more time to be more productive, I am have an ease of mind, and it is much easier to fall asleep. The dynamics of social media – today, is so distracting and sometimes a waste of time. For the women who meet a guy without Social Media – go in with the idea that this man is completely focused on his goals or rather spend his time in the moment instead of broadcasting their moments. Leaving social media has made me so much money, improved my vitality, and I do not have to fall for thrust traps or spend my attention to someone’s post.
27 years old now. I quit all social medias when i was 25. The life improvement has been unmeasurable!! Truly unbelievable. I still see my friends and family struggling with issues that they dont even know they have. Its pretty weird. We are at a very weird time for our species, we are social animals, and our social abilities are actually all but completely gone.
It’s been 2 years now since i left/quit social media and afterwards I learned that real life is more important than virtual life. I have gotten rid of depression, jealousy, found peace of mind, am chasing passions and emphasizing a more focused life. I am really happy now and am learning to enjoy every moment of life. The more you spend time with yourself the more you get to know about yourself.
When I had Facebook, my “friends” avoided me in public. Now, when they see me, they ask why I don’t my page anymore 😵 I tell them, I deleted all of it so I could have more time for YouTube 😉 it’s a “social” as I want to be at this stage of my life. I don’t have to hear about your boyfriends or how many trips you take or what your New Year’s resolution is and I am so grateful lol
What he’s saying about fragmented attention and shortened attention spans is absolutely true. I used to be an avid reader as a child, but recently I’ve joked with my spouse that social media has given me ADD because for the life of me I swear I cannot sit down and read for hours like I used to. I didn’t realize that I was actually speaking a scientifically proven reality.
I deleted because no one has this many friends. They are voyeurs from the past, usually. It was keeping me depressed and nonfunctional. I became an artist of several mediums. Envy seemed to be the theme. It was draining me. My creativity. Stealing my joy. I feel so much better now. The moment I hit deactivate I was free. No withdrawals. My comedic self is being nurtured again. The world is once again my oyster! See everyone at my first comedy special!
i started detoxing from Facebook little by little, then i deleted the apps (Facebook + Messenger) and then Baam ! i see you sir talking in this article exactly what i needed to hear, because few hours early on i re downloaded the fb app then i took a look on youtube ^_^ happy i did and i am deleting it again after that great conference 🙂 thanx for sharing with us . looking forward to read your books .
A lot of people are not realising that leaving social media may not be sufficient. The same strategy of making the product addictive and a data stealing machine is used in our smart phones for example my Vivo phone in India comes with a pre-installed Netflix, YouTube, and other similar apps that I have no option to uninstall, seems a psychological trick. Validation cycle would be countered by quiting social media but escaping the vicious cycle of dopamine is going to be challenging as one might get indulged in games, streaming sites, and other less popular sites of social media like whatsapp which you can’t escape. It’s a tough job and has become even more after the pandemic.
Some of us don’t have anything to quit. Social media reminds me of the worst of middle/high school. Stupid, emotionally needy, often malicious people forming little mobs for pointless competition, gossip, and trashing others, always looking for a boost in self esteem by their contrived comparisons, but usually not finding it. (I was in middle school before the smart phone). I didn’t like it then, so I don’t like it now. I have accounts, because I like to know something before judging it, but never understood the appeal. Snapchat? Really? Pinterest? Huh? Twitter’s 140 characters? I have more to say than that and I’ve rarely found anything I’d want to read there that wasn’t linked/explained better elsewhere. Facebook does make some sense for those who like to spy on what their acquaintances and old friends are doing, but wow, what a loss of privacy. I’ve found over time that people who don’t value their privacy are mostly the thoughtless frivolous types I have no interest in knowing. Now YikYak was pretty cool when it first started, but the developers ruined it quickly by abandoning anonymity, which killed the app.
You don’t have to quit social media to do all those things. Just turn off your phone while being at work and/or school, and talking to other people. If your social media accounts suck, it is probably because you don’t know how to pick your contacts. Delete those who serve no purpose in your life. I’m sure they won’t feel bad about it because they don’t care about you in the first place.
Most of the comments I read that disagree with the speaker claim or seem to assume that social media are just tools that can be useful, if used in moderation. While social media could, in theory, work that way, and may for some, I think it’s naive and, in many cases, self-congratulatory, to think that’s primarily what happens. The claim that an economically very successful product or medium designed to be addictive doesn’t have to be is an argument the tobacco companies would love. Now, just because they’d love it, doesn’t mean it’s false, right? No, that’s just more of the same naiveté. Anyone who uses Facebook, for example, and thinks they aren’t addicted should try giving it up for a month and notice whether they could and, if they could, how it felt. What does it say if you can’t go a month without Facebook or at first find it painful and then perhaps a relief but go back to it anyway? The speaker is a very productive, socially well-connected computer science professor. He can’t be dismissed as a quack Luddite. The take-away here is: Do the experiment. Try going without and then decide.
This comment section is so overwhelming guys. I don’t know why but I feel like crying 🥺. And this content on its own is what teenagers need these days. I have quit social medias. In truth, they’re highly addictive. It’s was a hard time quiting it. YouTube on the other hand isn’t so addictive like the rest of the others. Thank you sir. You’re impacting the mind of lots❤️god bless you
I stopped using media for a while now. I do feel less negativity, less stress, less comparing my life to others. Overall, I feel myself much better without social media. I can focus on my own life instead of comparing to others. What am I missing without using social media? Memes, some hot stories, hot trends here and there. But oh well, those usesless things dont even contribute anything meaningful to my life afterall.
I’m currently 23. It’s been 6 months I have quit social media.. Currently I’m reading Deep Work by this man.. I’m pushing myself everyday. I started to live organized..& I spend a large amount of time in deep studies.. This exponentially boosted my productivity.. I didn’t had any idea on my capabilities but now I get comfortable with this long work schedules & I hereby pledge to push myself more to accomplish my desired goal.( Before someone asks, I didn’t quit youtube because most of study materials are from youtube)
I have been in a depression lately. I was comparing my life to the lives of my friends because they are seemingly having great love life, successful career, etc. I feel so left behind. So, I thought of a solution and that is to quit fb and IG . Now, I am living a positive life and becoming more productive every single day. Thank you for this article!
I left FB in November 2017. I find YouTube to have more truth as people are not selfish. There’s so much to learn here. So much on Google. People don’t read. They are busy flashing their pseudo glamorous lives. I’m now so in touch with myself without prejudices based on outsiders. Thank God. So much peace and I’ve never joined Instagram. Never will
I deleted Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest & find myself learning more on YouTube since & I’m not constantly comparing myself with all the people who feel like their life is flawless on social media. Now nobody knows my business & can’t find me & im not spending my hours daily following strangers I don’t even know on the Internet.
I quit FB 2 years ago as I realized I was getting too tired of thinking which pic to post, will they like it or not, and thinking of interesting captions. then i got upset if a certain post didnt gain likes. i wasted a lot of time with useless chats that wasted my time and theirs. Just got tired of it so i quit. now, happier than ever.
Deleted my Facebook in 2010 at the age of 21, I had it for approximately a year and a half. Ive been using YouTube for afew years now but I activity limit the time bc you can easily get carried away. I’ve heard about Snapchat, and many other media’s. Don’t care.. YouTube takes up the time I can afford to waste( should be none!) I hate going out to eat with people bc they are constantly staring at their phones and I’m just sitting there feeling invisible to my “company”… pretty freaking sad.
It’s weird, I went on a social media hiatus a week ago and suddenly this comes up on my recommendations list. And all of what he’s saying are my reasons for my decisions; guess I should extend my hiatus. But I think it’s unfair for him to target those that use social media in moderation. It’s not all bad; just use it wisely.
The first time I came to the realisation that social media was taking over my life was when I saw a mother’s article of her daughter walking for the first time. Then it struck me.. I didnt want to miss my little one’s first steps! How can you stay in and enjoy the moment while you have a device in your hand, looking at the screen and making sure it turns out to be social media worthy? I cant say I quit social media, but maybe post every 2-3 months..The other day my little one took her first steps, my husband started yelling to get me record it, but i refused to..I enjoyed the moment to the fullest.. For her following attempts, we did record it but only for the sake of keeping it as a memory to ourselves. Another way to look at this, what if there is a worried parent out there because his/her child can’t or isnt able to walk and comes accross my article.. and the train of thought continues..
You’ll notice benefits within days if you leave social media. I look at it now, especially Twitter, and it blows my mind the way that total strangers talk to each other on that app and how normalized that behavior has become. It’s also packed with self-validation efforts and cringey oversharing. Quite a bit of lowkey narcissism going on.
When I deleted FB … was one of my proudest moments, which sounds weird. I found it time consuming, & I grew tired of a former co-worker showing off what they did for their wife for their anniversary. I didn’t mind talking with family members to stay in touch. What I don’t like is going on dates with the ladies pulling out their phones, & going on FB while we are supposed to be getting to know one another. I find this Super annoying.
Requested to permanently delete my Facebook yesterday & in 14 days I will officially be Facebook-less. It’s been causing me so much stress & anxiety with constant scrolling, looking at meaningless things and comparing myself to others while uploading pics & checking every 30 min to see who “liked” it. Now I realize that none of that matters & I just want to live a happy, peaceful, private life. Only thing I have left of social media is Instagram.
I just hope that one day somewhere near the future, our history will talk about social media as “nothing but a source of useless entertainment” and most of the people in the future doesn’t use social media anymore and they’ll laugh at us because we spend most of our time on this thing instead of doing meaningful work
I often take short breaks say a month or two from social media and it really is rejuvenating. Now, I’m even more positive about this decision of mine and I’m even considering to take them all down again, and this time for a longer run. Thank Dr. Cal! I definitely am going to share this thing with other people around. And one more thing, as relevant as this topic was 6 years ago, it’s even more relevant now. Truly grateful to you speaking on this topic.
The context of this ted talk is so true. i used to feel the same when i used social media for so many years but when i quit it completely then my life has completely taken a U -turn as i am able to concentrate more better and become more focused then before in my life and thank you dr cal newport for writing those immaculate books which completely changed my thinking about the world.
I’ve never had a Twitter, an Instagram or Snapchat account. And I don’t care to. I used to use Facebook very irregularly but find I don’t need it. I’m fine without any of those accounts. But I must say I use YouTube quite frequently to get all kinds of info. I could stop using YouTube but I’m not sure I want to. I’m all about learning and perusal very relevant stuff. Or articles that extol the kindnesses of man to his fellow man or to God’s creatures.
I quit social media on September 2020 and started using it again in August 2021 and I can say that during those 11 months I was most productive. It was my class 12th I was able to study very well and I felt free. Whenever I went outside with my friends or someone they wanted good pictures to post stories, send snaps etc. But I was feeling so good that I don’t have to do any of these. I restarted it in August and now my anxiety level is beyond limits. I came here so that I get motivated to take that step again
Okay, so this guy never used social media. I’d now like to see this kind of presentation from the view of someone who QUIT social media. Say for example, someone who has used facebook, twitter, etc for years and stopped altogether, and then reports back like a year or two later on who his/her life changed without social media. It would be an interesting viewpoint.
I’ve been without social media for a couple of years now, and I don’t miss it. It’s blurres the important stuff in life, dims your mind. You get caught up in this virtual world and none of it really matters. What really matters is the present moment, this is where life is. So much time wasted looking at other people’s life that you forget you have your life to focus on. If there is one thing that will improve your life, it deleting social media. It serves no purpose.
I ditched my iPhone 12, bought a Xiaomi device and it has a great feature called app lock. I have locked all apps except – Phone for calling, Signal for texting, Payment app, Maps, Document Scanner and Camera. The password is 12 complex digits which I can’t remember but is written on a my attic wall (if I need it in future). Also my phone (also PC) is permanently on grayscale mode. My decade long Smartphone Addiction destroyed in 1 hour. On laptop I have disabled Wifi card driver and I have to use USB tethering from phone to access internet. Also I have blocked distracting websites by editing host files in Windows. I have also sold all my extra screen devices except 2- my laptop and phone.